The present invention relates to a magnetic tape cartridge apparatus to be used in an information processing apparatus, etc., and, particularly, to a cartridge loading mechanism for loading a magnetic tape cartridge in a congregational tape cartridge apparatus which contains a large number of magnetic tape cartridges, when an information read or write operation is performed with respect to the magnetic tape cartridges.
A conventional magnetic tape cartridge apparatus of such type is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In these figures, the magnetic tape cartridge apparatus is constituted by a cartridge holder 21 for holding a magnetic tape cartridge, a guide roller 22 provided rotatably on the cartridge holder 21, guide plates 24 formed with guide grooves 23 for guiding a movement of the guide roller 22, levers 25 rotatably supported on a base plate, push levers 26 rotatably provided on the levers 25, lever springs 27 for pulling the push levers 26 toward the levers 25, timing gears 29 meshed with lever gears 28 formed on the levers 25, a timing shaft 30 rotatable with the timing gears 29 for operating the levers 25 simultaneously, a worm wheel 31 fixedly secured to one end of the timing shaft 30, a load worm 32 meshed with the worm wheel 31 and a load motor 33 for driving the timing shaft 30 through the worm wheel 31 and the load worm 32.
A cartridge loading mechanism of the conventional magnetic tape cartridge apparatus has, however, several problems to be described below.
First, since the timing shaft which drives the cartridge holder to load or eject a magnetic tape cartridge is provided perpendicularly to the moving direction of the cartridge holder and the load motor, the load worm and the worm wheel which rotate the timing shaft are provided in the same plane of the timing shaft and laterally of the cartridge holder, it is necessary to provide a space large enough to arrange the timing shaft, the load motor, the load worm and the worm wheel laterally of the cartridge holder, causing the magnetic tape cartridge apparatus to become bulky.
Second, in order to prevent the timing shaft from rotating in a reverse direction accidentally, the worm wheel is provided between the load motor and the cartridge holder. Since transmission efficiency of the worm wheel itself is low, it is necessary to use a large load motor which generates a large driving force, leading to a large sized magnetic tape cartridge apparatus as a whole.